Beer Review – Conspiracy Theory IPA

• Name: Conspiracy Theory
• Brewery: Southern Star Brewing Company
• Style: IPA
• Origin: Texas
• ABV: 6.75%

One of my earliest reviews was of a beer called Bombshell Blonde. I had picked it up by happenstance, building a six pack at Central Market and looking to round out after choosing five. I was initially drawn to the clever design of the can (branding counts guys!) and figured, what do I have to lose? Well, what I found that day was a wonderful brewery based out of Conroe, TX, whom I had never heard of but one that made excellent beer. Bombshell Blonde was absolutely delicious, and as I had no prior expectations, it was truly serendipitous. So when I was prowling the craft beer isle of my local Total Wine and more, and I found a can of Southern Star’s Conspiracy Theory IPA, I knew I would have to try it.

Conspiracy Theory IPA has a transparent, dark amber appearance. It has a low carbonation and builds a medium head when poured into a glass. Its sweet, hoppy aroma is fairly typical of the IPA genre. As someone who typically does not enjoy IPAs, this was not shaping up to be a fun time for me.

Related: Pliny the Elder Review

The mouthfeel is quite light and fluffy, and the first mouthful was ver pleasant. The flavor profile was both sweet and bitter, with a little more emphasis on the bitterness. In the aftertaste, the sweetness quickly gave was to a strong, persevering bitterness. I gave it a few minutes to see if the taste would dwindle, but it was to no avail. After three minutes, the bitterness had barely budged, my fear was becoming a reality.

Mouthful two was not as nice as the first, but remained drinkable. The sweetness was still present, but had been stifled significantly by the building bitterness. By mouthful three, my perspective was becoming bleak. The bitterness had built to such an extent that the sweetness was barely noticeable. At mouthful number four, I could taste nothing other than the bitter notes of hops. My nose continued to be taunted by the sweet and piney aroma, but I could taste nothing.

Recent: Science (Currently) States Beer is Good For You

I have been fairly vocal in my distaste for beers such as this. I reminded me of Shiner’s Wicked Ram. What started out decently, quickly lost favor due to my preferences in beer. I absolutely respect the beer and, as I said, I even enjoyed it early on. Maybe I’m destined to drink most IPA’s in one ounce servings. But a 12oz can of Conspiracy Theory was more than enough for me.

TL;DR

Conspiracy Theory is a well made IPA, it’s just not for me. I believe its overly bitter, but I am not a fan of IPA. If IPA is your thing, or you don’t mind bitterness, I would recommend picking this one up and giving it a try. If you don’t like super hoppy beer, I would leave this one alone (but you should definitely try their Bombshell Blonde).

Rating: 6/10 (Predicted IPA fan rating: 7.5/10)

Question of the Day

What is your favorite beer from your home state? Let me know!

Connect with Sargent Suds on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

Learn more about Conspiracy Theory on Southern Star’s website, Beer Advocate and Untappd.

SUBSCRIBE TO SARGENT SUDS TODAY!